Stacey Caskey latest to announce for School Board

Monday

Stacey Caskey, Mills River resident, educator, small-business owner and college counselor, became the latest candidate to announce an intention to run for School Board.

In a news release Monday, Caskey said she hopes to use her experience to benefit Henderson County and its students.

Caskey, who hasn’t yet filed paperwork with the county Board of Elections, said in the release that with her more than 28 years of educational experience, she can “bring the kind of fresh ideas, solid experience and practical knowledge that will benefit Henderson County’s students and the community.”

That experience includes being recognized as Teacher of the Year by two school systems and a nomination in 1997 for Microsoft Teacher of the Year that prompted a visit from New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to Caskey’s classroom.

Caskey said she has a strong background in educational technology. She has an undergraduate degree in Developmental Psychology and began teaching in 1990 in New York City. She has since earned a master’s in Education and two master’s certificates in mathematics and college counseling.

“I was very lucky to move to Western North Carolina in 2001, where I taught at Claxton Elementary School for nine years,” Caskey says in the release, noting that she was named 2007 Teacher of the Year there.

Her experience also includes grant writing, the release states, saying that Caskey has filed grant applications that have netted more than $3 million in donations from corporations to be used for technology in the classroom.

Caskey is committed to a nonpartisan partnership with other school board members. “We must make better curriculum and fiscal decisions because these directly impact our kids," she added.

An 18-year resident of Western North Carolina, Caskey, with her husband, Brian Caskey, a Mills River councilman, opened Biltmore Tutoring eight years ago, where they have worked with more than 1,000 students to improve their grades and college admissions test scores. Caskey also volunteers with Path to College, mentoring high school students in Henderson County and helping them bridge the gap between high school, college and career.

She looks forward to introducing a new voice to the school board. "Now is the time for the board to focus on the needs of our young men and women, to ensure that they aspire to have the best possible future. We need people with real educational experience and practical know-how to enable our kids to reach their dreams.”

Caskey maintains professional friendships with many former students, celebrating their successes as they move into adulthood, the release notes. She also said she's dedicated to the preservation and continued educational use of Henderson County’s historic landmarks, like the Stillwell Building at Hendersonville High.

“Although 93 percent of Henderson County students graduate from high school, only 28 percent go on to achieve a college degree and that is a huge disconnect,” Caskey says in the release. “Strengthening our focus on college as well as vocational tracks will benefit not just our students, but everyone who lives here. A school board that understands and promotes that vision is imperative to Henderson County’s future.”

For more information, visit www.staceycaskey.com or facebook.com/staceycaskeyforschoolboard/ or https://twitter.com/staceycaskey4nc.

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